It was announced back in October that the Manhattanville Cuban restaurant Floridita had finally negotiated a deal with Columbia University to move somewhere close by to their original location at Broadway and 129th Street but there hasn't been much action in the immediate area until this past week. We had previously assumed that the recently renovated retail space at 563-565 West 125th Street and Old Broadway would be the most obvious choice (2nd photo) since it was ready to go but not much has happened at the storefront just a block east of Broadway in the past 4 months. This week, the cluster of closed storefronts on the opposite corner of Old Broadway had what appears to be a crew clearing out the interior. Permits are not up for 555-559 West 125th (last photo) but its the only activity close by to the original Floridita restaurant that we have seen in months so we're kind of thinking this may be the new location. Floridita has been in West Harlem for over 40 years and many are looking forward to see it open again in its next incarnation.
563-565 West 125th Street and Old Broadway was the original site of the Freedom Bank, the First Black Owned Bank in Harlem. It later moved from there to 125th and 8th Ave.
ReplyDeleteEagerly awaiting Floridita's return.
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